Window mounting



Nov. 1, 1966 J. H. BOICEY 3,282,013

WINDOW MOUNTING Filed May 15, 19

INVENTOI? 5. BY g w fiMgE e A TTORNEYS United States Patent 3,232,013WINDOW MUUNTING James H. Boicey, Toledo, @hio, assignor to Libbey-Owens-%l;d Glass Company, Toledo, Ghio, a corporation of Filed May 13, 1964,Ser. No. 366,990 4 Claims. (Cl. 52-624) This invention relates broadlyto mountings for glass and more particularly to an improved clampingdevice for securing a glass sheet in a mounting structure.

A primary object of the invention is to provide an improved mountingstructure including a clamping plate, which, in combination with asupport place, is adapted to mount a glass sheet therebetween in such amanner as to more uniformly distribute the securing pressure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clamping plate havingsuitably disposed ridges rising from one surface and adapted to clamp aglass sheet along one marginal edge against the support plate and withthe ridge areas engaging the glass surface in a manner to moreuniform-1y distribute the effect of such clamping pressure throughoutsaid marginal edge.

A further object of the invention is to provide a clamping plate forclamping the lower marginal edge of a glass sheet is mounted relation toa support plate, said glass sheet and plates having aligned andlongitudinally spaced bolt receiving openings, and the clamping platebeing provided on the surface facing the glass sheet with inwardlydirected ridges adapted for bearing contact with a surface of the glasssheet, adjacent to but spaced from said openings whereby maximumclamping pressure is applied to the glass sheet at points remote fromsaid openings.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparentduring the course of the following description when read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate likeparts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 is a per'sepctive view of a part of a mounting structure for anautomobile side window embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side view of the clamping plate of the structureof FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse vertical section as taken on line 33 of FIG. 1;and

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section as taken on line 4--4 of FIG. 3. 1

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings the mounting structure as thereshown, and which is generally designated by the numeral 10, is adaptedto support a sheet of glass 11 within a body opening in the side of anautomobile. As is well known, such side-lites or windows are adapted tobe raised and lowered by means of window regulators to close or open therespective openings in automobile doors or the sides of the body of theautomobile. To this end, the lower marginal edge of the glass sheet isconventionally secured, in one way or another, in and to a suitablemounting frame.

When so carried, the major portion of the glass sheet is subjected toweaving or swaying motions in normal use which are directed toward andabsorbed in the secured, lower marginal edge. It is therefore recognizedthat the manner of mounting the glass sheet can, to a great extent,determine the physical resistance and life of the glass employed forthis purpose.

A typical mounting structure adapted, in accordance with this invention,to absorb even unusually rough movement and impact without injury to theglass includes a metal support plate 12 which can be operativelyattached to a window regulator mechanism by means of chanice neled trackmembers 13, and a clamping plate 14. The plate 12 is provided with boltreceiving openings or holes 15 located in suitably outwardly relievedareas 16.

Preparatory to the mounting of the glass sheet 11, which may be oftempered or laminated safety glass, a plurality of longitudinally spacedholes 18 for receiving mounting bolts are made through the glass sheetadjacent to or in the lower marginal edge portion thereof. In the caseof tempered glass, such bolt openings are drilled therein before theheat-treating process.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the glass sheet 11 is placed in mountedrelation between the metal plate 12 and clamping plate 14- with stripsof rubber 19 being located between said plates 12 and 14 and thesurfaces of the sheet. Bolts 20 are then passed through openings 15 inplate 12 and openings 21 in plate 1 both openings or holes being alignedwith holes 18 in the sheet 11. Preferably the openings 18 in the glasssheet are of suitable diameter as to receive a rubber washer or grommet22 through which a bolt will be inserted. A secure clamping relation isthus effected by a lock-washer 23 and nut 24 placed and tightly turnedup on each bolt.

Now, one reason for breakage and failure of a glass sheet to surviveexcessive vibrations or impacts has been due to the fact that, in priorart structures, the clamping pressure has been localized in the body ofthe glass around the bolt holes 18 and that the metal supporting andclamping plates did not uniformly support the glass throughout itsentire lower marginal edge.

The present invention, however, overcomes these difficulties by theprovision, inter alia, of an improved clamping plate formed withinwardly directed ridges extending both longitudinally and transverselyin parallel spaced relation to the bolt openings in the plate. For thispurpose, as shown in FIG. 2, the plate 14, which can be conventionallyproduced by die stamping operations, is formed With longitudinallydisposed semicircular grooves 30 and 31 which provide continuous ridgesin the surface of the plate facing the adjacent surface of the glasssheet. These ridges are located in substantially equally spaced parallelrelation to the bolt openings 21 in the body of the plate. The provisionof longitudinal ridges establishes parallel and defined surfaces thatmaintain rigid contact with the surface of the glass sheet throughoutthe length of the clamping plate. However, to more effectively separatethe actual areas of clamping force from the glass surface, parallelequally spaced ridges or grooves 32 and 33 are located adjacent theopenings 21 and in transverse relation to the ridges 30 and 31. Asviewed in FIGS. 3 and 4, these ridges also protrude from the surface ofthe plate directed toward the glass sheet 11. In consequence, the ridgesestablish rigid bearing surfaces tending to distribute the securingpressure uniformly along and across the lower marginal edge portion 35of the glass sheet and thereby reduce, if not completely eliminate, thepossibility for clamping forces to localize at the bolt openings. Thispermits maximum clamping pressure to be applied to-the glass sheet atpoints remote from the bolt holes 18.

This becomes particularly apparent as viewed in FIG. 4 in connectionwith FIG. 3 since the provision of ridges 30, 31, 32 and 33 creates aplateau surface 36 in the vicinity of holes 21 against which the head 37of bolt 21) can be suitably urged. This spaces the actual contact ofmetal, i.e. the plate and bolt, from bearing contact against the glasssurface. Moreover, the inwardly directed ridges 32 and 33 can be locatedin suitably spaced relation to the transversely disposed relieved areas16, which may be either circular or rectangular, in the support plate 12to set up equal pressure areas around the holes 18 in the glass sheet.Additionally, provision of the inwardly directed ridges 30, 31, 32 and33 together with an outwardly directed ridge 38.increases the totalrigidity of the plate 14 against longitudinal flexing action.

To thoroughly compare the superiority of the improved mounting structureto prior art structures heretofore considered acceptable, severe testshave been conducted. Suc-h tests consisted in first mounting a glasssheet by its lower marginal edge in the prior art mounting structurewith the structure supported on a pivotal frame. The frame was thenrepeatedly dropped from progressively increased heights and caused tostrike a fixed surface. At the instant of impact, the unsupported majorportion of the 'body of the glass whips violently downward with theforce of the impact being absorbed in the secured lower marginal edge.The same tests were then repeated employing a mounting structure asdisclosed in FIGS. 3 and 4.

The results of these comparative tests indicate that glass sheetscarried by the mounting structure of this invention withstood the forceof impacts resulting from free falling from considerably greater heightsthan glass sheets carried by the prior art structure and this was foundequally true with a clamping plate provided solely with thelongitudinally disposed ridges 30 and 31 or with a plate provided withridges 30 and 31 and the transverse ridges 32 and 33. As indicatedabove, the ridges 30 to 33 inclusive create the plateaus 36 which spacethe actual areas of clamping force from the adjacent surface of theglass.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred embodiment of the same, and thatvarious changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a window mounting structure, a glass sheet having a plurality ofapertures spacedalong and inwardly from a marginal edge thereof, anelongated support plate opposite one surface of said sheet, a layer ofresilient material between said support plate and said one surface,openings in said support plate in registry with said apertures in saidsheet, ridge portions on the surface of said support plate facing saidsheet, said ridge portions extending longitudinally of said elongatedvsupport plate on each side of said openings and substantially throughoutthe length of said support plate, an elongated clamping plate oppositethe other surface of said sheet, a layer of resilient material betweensaid clamping plate and said other surface, openings in said clampingplate in registry with said apertures and with said openings in saidsupport plate, longitudinally extending ridge portions on the surface ofthe clamping plate facing said sheet on each side of the openings insaid clamping plate, said ridges on said clamping plate extendingsubstantially throughout the length thereof, and fastening meansextending through said apertures and the openings in the support andclamping plates and urging said support and clamping plates intoengagement with said sheet.

2. A mounting structure as defined in claim 1 in which the ridgeportions on said clam-ping plate are offset from the respective ridgeportions on said support plat 3. A window mounting structure as claimedin claim 1, wherein said longitudinally extending ridges on each side ofthe openings on said support and clamping plates are substantiallyparallel, and including additional ridges extending transversely betweensaid longitudinally extending ridges on said support and clampingplates.

4. A window mounting structure as claimed in claim 1, including aresilient grommet member. surrounding said fastening means within eachsaid aperture.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,599,856 9/1926Wells 351142 1,840,787 1/1932 Nerney 351150 2,181,365 11/1939 Cozzens35l145 X 2,208,356 7/1940 Bosworth 351-l 2,576,392 11/1951 Downes 52-2082,939,186 6/1960 Norwood et al. 52-208 X 3,050,332 8/1962 Arnold296-4401 FOREIGN PATENTS 260,624 6/1913 Germany.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

W. E. HEATON, Assistant Examiner.

1. IN A WINDOWN MOUNTING STRUCTURE, A GLASS SHEET HAVING A PLURALITY OFAPERTURES SPACED ALONG AND INWARDLY FROM A MARGINAL EDGE THEREOF, ANELONGATED SUPPORT PLATE OPPOSITE ONE SURFACE OF SAID SHEET, A LAYER OFRESILIENT MATERIAL BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT PLATE AND SAID ONE SURFACE,OPENINGS IN SAID SUPPORT PLATE IN REGISTRY WITH SAID APERTURES IN SAIDSHEET, RIDGE PORTIONS ON THE SURFACE OF SAID SUPPORT PLATE FACING SAIDSHEET, SAID RIDGE PORTIONS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID ELONGATEDSUPPORT PLATE ON EACH SIDE OF SAID OPENINGS AND SUBSTANTIALLY THROUGHOUTTHE LENGTH OF SAID SUPPORT PLATE, AN ELONGATED CLAMPING PLATE OPPOSITETHE OTHER SURFACE OF SAID SHEET, A LAYER OF RESILIENT MATERIAL BETWEENSAID CLAMPING PLATE AND SAID OTHER SURFACE, OPENINGS IN SAID CLAMPINGPLATE IN REGIS-